Author: Rhys Gregory

A “wonderful” woman who was born at the height of the First World War has celebrated her 104th birthday under lockdown in a care home. Mrs Martha Elizabeth Hughes, who is known universally as Bessie, lived all her life in Brymbo, near Wrexham, until she was 101. The year before tenor Wynne Evans, who plays Gio Compario in the Go Compare TV ads, went to her home to do an interview for his Radio Wales show on her 100th birthday. But she moved to Pendine Park’s Hillbury Care Home after fracturing her hip in a fall due to failing eyesight.…

Iconic buildings and venues across Wales went ‘red’ on Tuesday 11th August 2020 as part of a UK-wide day of action highlighting the urgent government help the sector needs during the Covid-19 crisis. The live events industry across the UK came together in solidarity to host a series of creative action to help save the live events and entertainment sector which is on the verge of collapsing without financial support from the government. Hundreds of venues turned their lights red at 9.00pm in over 20 cities across the UK to symbolise the industry going into Red Alert. In Wales, in…

A Swansea firm has moved on site as is starts to build one of the city’s key regeneration projects. John Weaver Contractors is main contractor for the Hafod-Morfa Copperworks powerhouse and outbuildings redevelopment. The business was awarded the contract by Swansea Council after a competitive tender process. Over the next few years the location will be transformed for future generations. The site will include the renovation of the historic Powerhouse building. Wales’ Penderyn Distillery will expand there and fit it out as a new distillery and visitor centre. Swansea Council is overseeing the transformation as part of its plans to…

Chapter is re-opening in the Autumn and to celebrate they are commissioning an artist to create an artwork for the front of their building. For the last 10 years Chapter has commissioned a range of works that have featured on the glass box at their entrance, placing the visual front and centre of the venue. Artists have included: Vernon Ah-Kee, Phil Collins, Rose Wylie, Bedwyr Williams, Holly Davey, Rachel Maclean, Lothar Goetz, Melanie Counsell, S Mark Gubb, Cornelia Baltes, Tatham & O’Sullivan and Nàstio Mosquito. Chapter is inviting applications from Wales-based or Welsh-by-birth visual artists for the new commission. The…

Wales’ largest building society has launched a financial education app and online hub encouraging children to practice their numeracy and savings skills, as part of its ongoing commitment to financial education for young people. Principality Building Society’s interactive and educational Dylan’s Den app is available for anyone to access and not limited to Principality customers. Aimed at children aged 5-11 in both KS1 & KS2, the app consists of games and tools encouraging children to learn about savings and money management from a young age. On a separate web platform called the Dylan’s Savings Squad Hub, Principality has created individual…

An 18-year-old from Cowbridge whose trip to work abroad was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, is hopeful things will be back to normal when he starts his degree in 2021. Ceri Vaughan Jones was always planning to take a year out from his studies before starting his degree in Business Management and Spanish. While the pandemic hasn’t changed his plans, it has meant the postponement of his year working abroad to improve his Spanish before he heads to university. As around 56,000 young people across Wales prepare to collect their results this summer, Careers Wales has released new data…

A ground-breaking Swansea University project is using microalgae to explore how to reuse waste while increasing food production. Microalgae are microscopic photosynthetic cells found naturally in the oceans and lakes. But Swansea scientists are now using a more novel source of nourishment to grow them – unwanted nutrients from food waste. Sites treating food waste use a process called anaerobic digestion (AD) to produce energy. This uses the carbon in waste to produce a biogas that can generate electricity. The AD process also produces a rich source of nutrients. Some of these nutrients can be used on agricultural land as…

At approximately 14:45 hours on Tuesday 11th August 2020 a Fatal Road Traffic Collision occurred on the A48 Forage Farm Roundabout, Cowbridge. A 72 year old male rider of a Green Triumph Tiger motorcycle was travelling eastbound from Pentre Meyrick towards Cardiff, when he collided with the roundabout and as a result he was thrown from the motorcycle and suffered fatal injuries. The riders family are being supported by specially trained Roads Policing Family Liaison Officers. South Wales Police Roads Policing Department are appealing for witnesses to the collision or the manner of riding of the green Triumph Tiger prior…

One of the UK’s leading manufacturers of caps, closures, shrink sleeves and tamper evident seals, has experienced a period of significant growth, with an uptake in sales over the last three months. Viscose Closures, based at Swansea Enterprise Park, has seen exceptional growth during the period of March to May, with a 106% increase in sales and production, driven predominantly by international customers from the US and Far East. Despite the Covid-19 crisis, which has affected many businesses, Viscose Closures was able to adapt quickly. Recognising that many sectors have experienced changes due to the pandemic, such as the soft…

Software start-up company Aforza is creating 100 jobs in Cardiff thanks to £900,000 support from the Welsh Government. The firm is currently based at the Tramshed Tech working hub in Cardiff where it has a Research and Development lab and customer support centre. Aforza specialises in supplying a complete end-to-end software solution for consumer goods companies that helps them to plan, promote and sell their products more efficiently. The £900,000 support from the Welsh Government’s Economy Futures Fund will be key to the firm’s growth plans, enabling it to create new, high quality jobs. The company is also backed by…